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Historical Perspectives Of Abnormal Psychology Essay

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Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal psychology is the study of an individual’s emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral issues. Abnormal behavior can be defined as a behavior that is socially unacceptable, distressing, self-defeating, and often the result of distorted thoughts. Abnormal psychology has many aspects used to help in defining, understanding, and treating the mentally ill. Throughout centuries the concept and treatments have increased in accuracy and effectiveness.
Several perspectives have an explanation for the causes of abnormal behavior. These perspectives include medical perspectives, psychodynamic perspectives, behavioral perspectives, cognitive perspectives, and social-cultural perspectives. The medical perspectives focus on the biological and physiological factors. The psychodynamic perspective focuses on the idea that the causes of abnormal behaviors are a consequence of unresolved anxiety and unconscious conflicts. The behavioral perspective indicates that the reasoning for abnormal behavior is because there is inadequate learning and conditioning. The cognitive perspective believes abnormal behavior is because of false assumptions of particular thoughts and behaviors. The social-cultural perspective defines abnormal behavior as behavior learned from the environment.
Abnormal psychology has evolved into a scientific discipline over centuries of research. Abnormal psychology has been studied and examined for answers over these centuries. Out of all the hundreds of years of attempting to explain and control abnormal behavior there have been three main approaches: the supernatural, biological, and psychological traditions.
The supernatural traditions blame demons, spirits, moons, planets, and stars for the abnormal behaviors. The supernatural traditions were explored by the ancient Chinese, ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. The biological tradition was influenced greatly by Hippocrates....